


A Nightmare of a Dream

by ClicheAly



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Apple - Freeform, Dreamtale, Gen, Ink isn't even important, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClicheAly/pseuds/ClicheAly
Summary: Dream has had it.He's tired of this monster controlling his brother.He needs him back.And he's willing to do anything to ANYTHING to get him back
Kudos: 4





	1. Notes (Nightmarishly important)

Why do I feel like writing every single dang idea that comes into my head?

Headcanon list:

1\. Dream and Nightmare are brothers.

2\. This is _not_ canon Dreamtale!

3\. Nightmare doesn't have a gang in this, but the Star Sanses exist.

_~~~~~_

Credits for characters~

Toby Fox.

Dream and Nightmare ~ Jokublog

Ink ~ Myebi/Comyet

Outertale and Underswap ~ Community 

~~~~~

Started Feb. 7, 2021.

Ended Feb. 7, 2021.

Wowie, only a _day!_


	2. Prologue - Incident

I felt something wrong.

I was running to the tree.

The sky had turned gray.

The grass was dying.

My brother was in front of the tree. 

He held a negative apple.

"Nighty?" I had to push through a crowd.

They were yelling at him.

He looked back at me.

He was crying.

He had.. _eaten._

 _"Please..remember who I used to be.."_ He wept.

He continued to eat.

And he continued.

For _hours._

_The crowd wouldn't let me help him._

_They wouldn't let me go._

_I had to watch as my brother was consumed._

_And nobody bothered to help him._

There were no apples left.

He had eaten all of them..

Except the one I had.

He started killing them.

Everyone.

I ducked onto the ground to avoid the attacks. 

There were so many screams.

Pleads for mercy.

But he didn't stop.

It continued.

Until everything was quiet.

I looked around.

I only saw _him._

He looked down at me.

 _"Give me the apple."_ His voice was not my brother's.

I couldn't let him have it.

If anyone had all the apples..they would be _unstoppable!_

I shook my skull.

He attacked me.

I ate my apple.

_He turned me to stone._


	3. 1 - Negativity

I opened my eyesockets slowly.

"That nightmare, again.." I sighed; it had been haunting me for.. _centuries._

I remembered every aspect as if it were _yesterday._ It started out just like any _other_ day, really, but when Nightmare took the apples, everything just.. _collapsed._ Our mother was killed that day, but someone _else_ died, too. _Everyone_ died that day. Our mother died when Nightmare killed her. Nightmare died when he ate those apples. I died, too; I died when I was turned to stone. The childish Dream of the past was _dead,_ now, and I didn't mind it _one bit._ I was a _fool_ back then. When I was locked away in that stone prison, I realized that I was _truly_ the _worst_ brother that had ever _lived._ Nightmare was in pain _constantly,_ and I didn't even pay any _attention_ to him! I had _seen_ what the villagers did to him! I _saw_ it! And I did _nothing!_ Nightmare never spoke about it with me..because he knew that I wouldn't have helped him; he was _smart._ I was changed by the incident; really, I _was!_ I now understood that everything that _I_ wanted was _wrong,_ and everything that _Nightmare_ had ever done for me was _right!_ He had _always_ gotten me _amazing_ gifts for my birthdays, while _I_ just got him stupid _books_ that he had _read_ before. He always accepted them with a smile, though; he was the best brother in the multiverse, and that was just a _fact._

_"Dream!"_ A voice called from downstairs. _"Breakfast!"_

"I'm coming!" I returned, lifting myself out of bed. 

I had been living with my friend, Ink; he took me in after I had escaped from my stone prison. We didn't _always_ see eye-to-eye on things, but we were friends, nonetheless. He was sort of my teacher about how to be a better person - I was honestly shocked when I found out that a literal _soulless being_ was kinder than the _Guardian of Positivity -_ and he was helping me get over the entire.. _brother.._ thing. A few decades ago, we had gotten into a rather _major_ dispute about whether the AUs or the people _inside_ them were more important, but after a _very_ long time of arguing, we came to an agreement: they were _both_ equally important. The AUs were the homes of the people that lived in them. If the _AU_ didn't exist, the people wouldn't have a home; if the _people_ didn't exist, the AU had no purpose whatsoever! It was a rather long lesson about _arguments,_ for _me,_ really; I had learned not to get into them! Overall, Ink and I were as close as friends could _be,_ after that, and we were better off for it! When I had gotten into my everyday clothes, I made my way downstairs to find Ink juggling some plates of pancakes; he always liked doing crazy stuff like that!

"Take a seat, take a seat, one and all, to see the _incredible_ Pancake Painter!" He shouted. 

I took a seat at the table; this was _bound_ to be either a _terrific_ success or a _terrible_ disaster.

"Flapjacks ahoy!" Ink threw the pancakes onto our dining room table..and they slid right off; I couldn't help laughing! _"So.._ how do you feel about eating out?"

"I think it's an _amazing_ idea!" I was still laughing my skull off.

"All right, then! To the restaurant, _away!"_

Ink picked me up and lifted me over his skull, and I just _laughed!_ He ran all the way to a restaurant that he had found near our house. Instead of living in our _own_ AU - that plan had failed _so many times_ in the past - we picked a nice surface AU where monsters and humans lived together in peace, and it had worked out for longer than any _other_ homes we had chosen in the past had. The regular inhabitants didn't mind our presence _at all,_ and they actually _liked_ being the AU with the Star Sanses close by. Ah, the Star Sanses: a trio, we were. Ink, the leader and Creator of AUs; Blue, the happy Sans from Underswap that often joined us; and me, the Guardian of Positivity. Together, we were known as the protectors of the multiverse, always ready to fight the bad guys, whether they were desperate robbers or destroyers of AUs! Honestly, we mostly fought the _worst_ enemies of the multiverse, but we occasionally fought bandits that people wanted to be dealt with. When we reached the restaurant, Ink plopped me in a chair and sat in his own; we were regulars, to be sure, and a waitress promptly approached us with a smile on her face; she was a human.

"Ink's turn to cook, again?" She assumed; we had almost _always_ come to the restaurant when Ink cooked, for some reason.

"It isn't _my_ fault the pancakes were compelled to fall on the floor!" Ink shrugged. 

"May I take your orders?"

"I'll take some soup..I don't care which kind." 

"Um..surprise me!" I winked.

"Soup and something else coming right up!" The waitress left us to talk.

"You know they're gonna give you marshmallow banana bread, right?" Ink snickered.

"Yes, but saying 'surprise me'is better than asking for _marshmallow banana bread."_ I reasoned.

"Eh, good point. So, any plans for the day?"

"I don't know..maybe I'll check the library, again.."

"Dream, the library is filled with comic books and classics. You've got a better chance at finding something that could get Nightmare back in a _soda shop."_

"I know.." I was _desperate_ to find some way of getting my brother back..

_"But.."_

"But _what?"_ I was interested.

"A new bookstore opened up a while ago.."

"A _bookstore?_ You mean those cliche places where people find stuff they never expected to find?!" That was _hope!_

 _"Exactly!_ I'm heading down there in a little bit to find something on ancient art - I _need_ to master a new style I found!"

"Awesome! Maybe I can find something! I _hope_ I can find something!"

"Well, we have to eat breakfast first, of course."

"Oh.. _right."_

"You're _not_ gonna starve on _my_ watch!"

"Heh..I guess not!"

After a bit more talking, our breakfast came, and we wasted no time in eating; I _loved_ marshmallow banana bread! Ink ended up with some chicken noodle soup, which he wasn't complaining about; it was a beloved classic, for him! As we ate, I felt something.. _off._ Ever since the incident, I had been able to feel strong spots of positivity or negativity throughout the multiverse..and a new burst of negativity had formed; usually, it was a death or a genocide run, but something _this_ strong could only be _one thing:_ my brother, Nightmare. He had gone rather _insane_ after eating the apples, and he tried to spread negativity wherever he _went;_ I had to stop him. I didn't _like_ fighting my own _brother,_ but he would threaten _lives,_ and I _couldn't_ let him do _that!_ I alerted Ink to the situation - he often helped me, since I could _rarely_ fight Nightmare _alone -_ and we went to the AU my brother was currently attacking. It made me so.. _hurt.._ that Nightmare would injure innocent people..but I couldn't stop him..even when we captured him, I couldn't bear to even _see_ what my brother had become! He always escaped, somehow, though. When we came across him, he turned to look at us with a scowl.

"Brother, you don't have to hurt these people!" I had _begged_ in the past for him to stop..and I would never quit.

"Oh, _yes,_ I _do,_ Dream!" He smiled darkly. "I _have_ to, if _only_ to make you _negative!"_

"Why are you always trying to hurt Dream?!" Ink didn't like Nightmare's goals.

"Creator, you _must_ stop interfering with the business of others, but, since you'll find out soon, anyway, I'll simply _tell_ you." Nightmare knew that _I_ knew the reason, but _Ink_ didn't know. "You see, if Dream were to give in to all of his negative feelings, he would simply turn into a negative _being,_ and he wouldn't _dare_ threaten _me._ In _this_ form, he is.. _positive;_ that doesn't work with my plans..so I'd have to _kill_ him. But..you know how I am about _killing,_ don't you?" Nightmare didn't like to kill those who would serve him better as slaves of his negativity..and he rarely _did;_ it was a fate _worse_ than death.

"Well, we'll just have to stop that from happening!" Ink was ready for combat, and I was right by his side.

Nightmare advanced on us, and we fought back with everything we had; we often _had_ to. During battles, my brother would often attack _me,_ and _only_ me;he knew that if _I_ fell, Ink would be too distracted to fight him as he either retreated or.. _"enjoyed the show."_ His attacks were made of pure _negativity,_ which was _my_ weakness, while _my_ attacks were pure _positivity,_ which was _his_ weakness; some would have thought that we were evenly matched, but that wasn't the case. He had nearly _all_ of the power of the apples backing up every attack he had, while I had but _one._ One apple of positivity..the last of its kind. It was funny how a single fruit could make _such_ a difference. Had I been without it, there would have been no more positivity, except perhaps the little bit that I created with my aura, but it wouldn't have been enough to make a difference. Nightmare would have been _immortal_ with that apple, while it only made _me_ gain _mortal_ qualities. Heh..just a simple _fruit_ kept the multiverse from eternal sadness and misery; it was funny how that worked. 

The battle was short, but that made no difference. Nightmare _stopped,_ and for good reason. It was a normal battle at first, which looked like it was going to end in a tie..it _didn't._ I was shooting arrows of positivity at Nightmare, but they barely phased him; _one_ apple wasn't much compared to one shy of a _thousand._ I shot the arrows, nonetheless, and Ink helped me with his paint, which honestly seemed to do _more_ than the arrows. Nightmare fought us with his tentacles, which grew out of his back; they were..honestly _disgusting,_ but I couldn't dwell on it. After a while, the small amount of positivity that I had been able to hit him with grew to be enough to annoy him, which was saying a _lot,_ since his power was _many_ times greater than _mine._ He eventually decided to hinder Ink's attacking by wrapping him in one of his tentacles; Ink couldn't break free of it, and I was left to fight my brother. It felt like he was landing every hit, and _every hit_ put more of that _negativity_ into me; it had just built up over the years, since I could find no way to get it _out!_ I eventually.. _collapsed._ The negativity seemed to be overpowering me, and Nightmare _laughed._ Instead of _killing_ me, he left and dropped Ink, but before he did..he said _one thing._

 _"In time, my dear brother."_ He cackled as he left me quivering on the ground.

 _"Dream!"_ Ink rushed to my side; I was crying. "Dream, stay with me! Think _positively!_ Uh..banana bread! Think about how _awesome_ it's gonna be when your brother is saved! Think about the _bookstore!_ We can go to the _bookstore!_ Oh, come _back,_ Dream!"

"I-Ink.." I could barely see through my blurred vision.

"Dream, I'm going to get you to a hospital! _Hold on!"_

Ink lifted me up off the ground and rushed me to what I believed was a hospital AU. He reached the front counter with _lightning_ speed and almost bordered on _yelling_ when he reached it; desperation was in his voice.

 _"He needs help!"_ Ink held me tightly. _"It can't wait!"_

"We'll get a room as fast as we _can!"_ A familiar voice confirmed; it was a Sans that worked as a doctor. He was a friend.

I was moved to a hospital room, and a few of my friends were gathered around me; I hoped that my brother hadn't hurt me _too_ badly..I hoped with all my _soul._ I must have fallen asleep soon after I was moved, since the doctors that were present had already found the problem.

"Dream?" Blue noticed that I was stirring. "Dream! You're awake!"

"H-hey.." I found it a bit hard to speak, but I could manage a short greeting.

"I was so worried about you!" Ink admitted. "You almost.." Ink seemed sad; I wondered what he was talking about.

"You almost succumbed to the negativity.." A doctor revealed. "We did as much as we _could.."_

"Dream, I don't think you should be fighting Nightmare anymore.."

~~~chapter end woot~~~

Dream bean is sick.

Ooh, mini cliffhanger. 

Thanks for reading my hanging writing!

Bye!


	4. 2 - Idea

I had been in the hospital for a couple _months_ after the battle, and Ink had blatently _refused_ to allow me to join him to stop Nightmare in the future; he said that it was for my own good, but I didn't want to believe it. Just because I had a _little_ bit of negativity inside me didn't mean that I couldn't fight Nightmare! It wasn't the _fighting_ that I missed..it was being able to _see_ my brother; even if he _was_ covered in slime, I knew that my brother was under there, and I was determined to get him _out!_ That _wasn't_ going to happen while I was in the hospital, though. I was due to be released today, to my absolute _joy,_ and I was awaiting the hour with excitement; that _surely_ overwrote any negativity that my brother could have put inside me! I was currently talking with Blue about some things that were going on in his AU, Underswap; he _always_ had a conversation ready to go when somebody wanted to talk! 

"So, you know what Alphys said _next?"_ Blue was ecstatic.

"What?" I had a feeling.

"She said I did _great!"_

"Wow!"

"She said I'll be able to be in the Royal Guard super soon!"

"I bet you'll be the best guard there!"

"The Magnificent Sans _is_ the best Royal Guard! They just don't know it yet!"

"I'm _sure_ of it!"

"Well, I should get back home, now; Alphys says she'll teach me how to do a backflip!"

"Well, I guess you'll want to get right on _that!"_

"Bye, Dream!"

"Good bye, Blue!"

Blue made a portal to Underswap, and I was left to do.. _something._ I just felt like the negativity had been eating away at me..and I could do nothing to stop it. The doctors had managed to get a _little_ of it out, but that was _very_ strenuous, and I..I almost _died_ from it! They said that there was _no way_ to get all of it out without _killing me_ in the process! I decided to just accept it for what it was: I had been slowly poisoned by my brother over the years, and I hadn't noticed. My own _brother_ tried to kill me..and it was _working._ Every bad thought that I _had_ just made it grow stronger..and stronger..until..I was going to break, soon; I could _feel_ it. Heh..no, he wasn't trying to kill me, no matter _how_ much I told myself that he _was._ Something in me found it funny; my brother never really _wanted_ to kill me, despite imparting all of that negativity to weaken me! I should have realized it sooner. The rate at which he gave it to me, mixed with all of the dark encouragement; it wouldn't kill me unless I _did_ something about it. If I simply let it lie dormant inside of me..I would _live._ A positive being wouldn't be able to handle _this_ amount of negativity unless it were given at _exact_ _rates;_ Nightmare had told me that, once, before he ate the apples. I understood his plan _perfectly._ He was trying to _turn_ me.

"You're pretty smart, for a baby." A voice spoke.

I looked around, seeing nothing; I was _alone.._

"Ain't gonna find me _that_ way, kid." The voice sounded rather high-pitched. 

"Where.. _are_ you?" I was paranoid.

"I'm in your head! Totally _mental!"_

"I'm going insane.." 

"Ehh, partly."

 _"What_ are you?"

"Negtivity buildup. He said you liked stuff like this."

"Oh.."

"Yeah, I'm pretty much gonna ease ya _right_ into place for his plan. You know, give ya nightmares, put bad thoughts into your head, the _works,_ really!"

"Could you maybe.. _not?"_

"You're _hilarious!_ I can see why he likes you."

"Nightmare.. _likes_ me?"

"Uh..I thought that was a _given._ I mean, he kinda took over the kid, so, ya know.."

"What..?"

"I thought you were _smart;_ haven't you figured it out by now?"

"Figured.. _what_ out?"

"Oh, _boy,_ you're stupid. I always get the stupid ones..I take back what I said about you being smart."

"Um.."

"You know what? I'll let you find out on your own. It'll be funner. _Anyway,_ I'll be around every once in a while to torment ya, 'kay?"

"..." I was going insane, wasn't I?

"Hey kid, remember: _I don't_ _exist."_

"Wh-what?"

Silence.

I didn't like voices without bodies..I was _terrified_ by that idea! I just had to keep calm..I would keep calm and relaxed.. _yeah._ Surely that was a one-time occurrence, and I would _never_ hear the voice _ever again!_ I was being _ridiculous!_ _Voices? Really?_ I wasn't _that_ stupid! As I was mentally laughing at my insecurities, Ink walked into the room with a bright smile, which I returned cheerfully.

"Heya, Dream!" He looked happier than usual.

"Hi, Ink." I responded. 

"Guess what time it is!"

"Is it _time?"_

"That it _is!_ You're _finally_ coming home!"

"That's the best news I've heard in _months!"_

"I bet it _is!_ Come on, I've got something _special_ at home!"

"I'm coming, but don't I have to check out, first?"

"Nah, I already took that liberty. You're in this room illegally, now; you _must_ leave!"

"All right! Let's go, then!" 

I got out of the hospital bed and followed Ink through a portal back to our home, where I noticed a new painting on the wall; it was a painting of the Star Sanses - namely, _us -_ in a field.

"You painted _that?"_ I was in awe; it was _amazing!_

"Yep!" Ink confirmed. "No style left unmastered!"

_"Wow!"_

"Speaking of _styles.._ I believe you've got a _bookstore_ to visit, right?"

"It's a _wonder_ how months can go by.." 

"Come on, we'll see if there's any cool stuff there."

"All right!"

Ink and I then started our walk to the bookstore; we _could_ have teleported, but it was _such_ a nice day outside! The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, and children were playing...in Ink's flower garden.

 _"Hey!"_ Ink yelled. "Stay _off_ my _tulips!"_

The children dispersed immediately, knowing that Ink would tickle them without mercy if he caught them; Ink had always liked children, and he knew that _tickling_ was an unbearably enjoyable sensation to them. Honestly, it was for _me,_ as well; it was a good thing that _Ink_ didn't know that...actually, only _Nightmare_ knew that..from our days before the incident. I wondered if he remembered, or, if he had forgotten, would he still instinctively tickle _me_ when I started to tickle _him?_ All the questions that had been left unanswered seemed to just pile up over the years, but I didn't really mind it, to be honest; I would get Nightmare _back,_ someday, and at _that_ point, everything would be _fine!_ He wouldn't be covered in slime, we could regain our bond, I could actually be a _good_ brother, and..everything would be _fine..._ just.. _fine._ I didn't know _why_ I thought _that_ would _ever_ happen; I was a fool. That was all I _ever_ was: a _fool._ Nightmare didn't deserve to be burdened by me, and it was _my_ responsibility to get him back. I _had_ to get my brother back! It was my _purpose!_ When we reached the bookstore, I looked up at the sign; it looked purposefully old and weathered - that was good. We walked up to the counter, finding a skeleton at the counter.

"Ah, what can I help _you_ two with?" His voice gave off a hint of wisdom combined with age; it was _very_ cliche, and I was _glad_ about it!

"Do you have any old legends?" I figured that something such as an _"evil apple demon"_ would have been considered a legend or a myth, even if it was obviously _true._

"I think we have something in the back; right this way."

He got out from behind the desk and began to lead Ink and me to a room _filled_ with _books._ Big books, small books, thick books, and thin books littered the walls and tables; it would have been absolute _heaven_ for Nightmare if he saw it! The old skeleton picked a book off the shelf and handed it to me. The title read: _"The Legend of Dreamtale."_

"How'd you know we wanted to look at _that?"_ Ink didn't understand.

"Oh, _please."_ The old skeleton scoffed. "You think I don't _know_ what someone like _Dream_ wants when he walks into a store asking for a _legend?"_

"I guess it _is_ pretty obvious.." I shrugged. "How much?"

"That'll be one G."

"Here you go!" I handed him the money. "Thanks, mysterious skeleton!"

"Sure thing, positive piece of popcorn."

"I'm not sure whether that's a compliment or an insult.."

"It's both."

"A _complinsult!"_ Ink giggled.

_"Exactly."_

"I guess I'll get out of your hair..or.. _baldness?"_ I wasn't sure how to word it.

"Just say you'll be _going,_ now." He helped.

"Thanks. Bye!"

"Good bye, young Guardian." 

Ink and I began our trek home, where I immediately ran up to my room with full intent of reading the book from start to finish without _any_ breaks; I had something _good_ here, and I didn't want it to spontaneously combust or something ridiculous before I could read it! I opened up to the first page, where I found the story that I knew by soul. I flipped through the beginning, since it only stated what I already knew.

"Mom, tree, apples, blah, blah, blah.." I didn't know _why_ I was reciting that out loud, but I did, anyway. "Me, Nighty, village, bullies-"

My eyelights came across something I had _never_ seen before.

"An.. _evil entity?"_ I was confused, but I continued, muttering what I read. "Nightmare had been.. _haunted.._ by an evil entity..remaining nameless, it _convinced_ Nightmare that nobody cared for him; not even.. _his brother._ Over time, Nightmare became more distant, separating himself from all _but_ himself, as he thought that the entity _was_ himself. It eventually gained his trust..and t-told him-"

I couldn't read further.

"Oh, Nighty.." I sobbed. "Why didn't you _tell_ me it wasn't _you?"_

"Ooh, realization's struck ya _hard,_ there, kid." The voice from earlier returned.

"Are..you.."

"Oh, the thing with your brother? _Nah,_ I'm just kinda like a servant of that stuff, but I can be _just_ as _effective!"_

"So..my brother never _did_ change..hah..I called that _thing.."_

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it, kid; you didn't know! _Wait,_ actually, _do_ beat yourself up about it! Go ahead and _cry_ a little, eh? How about you just.. _give in?"_

"No.." I shook my skull. "No, I _won't_ give in. Oh, what a _mistake_ I've made! Year after year, trying to get a _monster_ to.. _agh!_ What a _fool_ I am - _an absolute fool."_

I shut the book immediately; it had given me all that I could have _ever_ needed. 

"Voice, what do you call yourself?" I didn't want to know, but I _had_ to know.

"I don't have a name." It chuckled slightly.

"All right. Well, I'm only going to say this _once."_

"Gotcha, what are you _saying?"_

_"Go back to your master, and tell him that I don't want to see his face ever again."_

"Ooh, you're getting pretty _serious,_ aren'tcha?"

 _"Ooh,_ did I _stutter?"_

"Huh..I guess the negativity's talking. _Weird,_ I thought _I_ was supposed to be the talking negativity, here."

"I don't want to play your silly games, voice. _Go away."_

"All right, all right, _gosh,_ you're a _downer!"_

It left, and I lay down on my bed; I was an absolute _fool!_ I was an _idiot!_ I spoke to a true _monster,_ thinking it was my _brother!_ No, that monster _wasn't_ my brother! It was _using_ him! My brother was perfectly _fine!_ The monster was using my brother's powers, but he was _not_ my brother, and I knew that, now. Now that I knew what I was dealing with, I needed to find a way to get my brother _free_ from that _demon's_ hold! How would I be able to get my brother back? How would I be able to free him? All that _time,_ he was trapped in a prison, just as _I_ was trapped in a prison! Well, I _escaped_ from my stone prison, and _now,_ I had to _save_ someone from his _own_ prison; I just had to think of a way. What would make the monster give up my brother? Why would he _give_ _him back?_ What did _I_ have that he _valued?_ Oh. _Of course.._

_The last golden apple._

~~~chapter end woot~~~

Dream bean _NO!_

_*slap*_

_Bad bean!_

Thanks for reading my stupid writing!

Bye!


	5. 3 - Outcome

It had been a week since I had learned the truth, and I hadn't left my room. Ink was starting to worry about me, as were the _rest_ of my friends, but I wouldn't tell them what was wrong; I _couldn't_ tell them what was wrong! They would have known about the choice that I was considering, and they would have tried to stop me; they would say that it wasn't the right thing to do. Did I even _care_ what the _so-called "right thing to do"_ was? No.. _no,_ I _didn't_ care! All I _cared_ about was getting my _brother_ back! They said that my negativity levels were rising with each passing day; I could feel it..the negativity didn't feel _that_ bad, really. It was just eating away at my positivity. What use did I have for _positivity?_ How _could_ I be positive at a time like _this?_ Positivity was _worthless,_ just like _I_ was _worthless._ Dream, Guardian of Positivity! No. It was more like Dream, idiot and fool. I knew that it was just the negativity; it was causing me to think awful things about myself. Well, I couldn't have agreed _more_ with it. I just lay in my bed and thought of the consequences of my actions; I was considering giving up my _soul_ for Nightmare's _freedom._ Which of those was more important?

If I gave up my soul for Nightmare, I would have him back. If I _didn't,_ he would still be trapped. It was no contest. If the evil entity required _anything_ to give up my brother, I would have given it, whether it was my _soul,_ my _own_ freedom, or the positivity of every creature in the _multiverse._ It was the most selfish thing that I could have ever thought of - I was aware; I was considering giving up the ability for _every_ being to be _happy._ Everyone would just be _sad, constantly,_ and happiness would be a fleeting memory. Murders would skyrocket, homes would be destroyed, and _friends?_ Who needed _friends_ when everyone _hated_ you, and _you_ hated _them?_ Nobody would _have_ friends! Ink would no doubt be the only one who felt joy, since he had his vials, and he would be absolutely _frantic_ to find a solution, but there would be _none._ There was _no way_ to stop a being that had the power of all the apples..and I was considering making it _happen,_ just to have my _brother_ back. How selfish could I _be?_ I was giving up the happiness of the _many_ for the freedom of _one!_ I was sacrificing the good of the _multiverse_ for my _only_ brother! I was doing the _worst possible thing_ for a _selfish reason.._

_And it felt amazing._

Ink was currently fighting the monster that took my brother, but I was at home; Ink never let me fight that monster after the negativity incident. Was I going to let _that_ stop me? _No,_ I was _not_ going to let _that_ stop me! I had made up my mind, and I was going to work my plan to the very _end;_ I had had _enough_ of _waiting._ I opened a portal to the AU Ink was fighting the monster in - I wouldn't call it _Nightmare,_ since it _wasn't_ Nightmare - and stepped through, finding myself under a layer of stars. This was Outertale, the land of stars..and the place where my brother would be freed, if my plan worked. I came across the two fighters in a clearing among the forest; Ink was losing, _horribly._ He should have allowed me to come with him. I decided to wait until a winner was decided, and I watched the fight accordingly. The monster seemed to be aware of my presence, and its eyelight flashed several times in my direction, simply to make me aware of the fact. The fight didn't last long, and Ink was knocked unconscious at the end of it. Instead of running away or trying to save Ink, I approached the monster slowly. I had left my weapons at home, since I didn't have need them for what I was planning. It seemed confused when I stopped in front of it.

"What are you _doing,_ brother?" It asked, with a grim grin.

"I'm _not_ your _brother."_ I shook my skull. "And _you're_ not _mine._ I should have realized it sooner."

"I see. Have you come to surrender? Perhaps you came to allow me the pleasure of _killing you?"_

"I want my brother back. I want Nightmare to be free of your control, and I want him _now."_

"What makes you so _sure_ that I'll give him up?"

"What makes _you_ so sure that you have a _choice?"_

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"You're a smart being; figure it out. _You_ want the last _apple?_ _I_ want my _brother."_

"You mean.." The monster seemed surprised.

"I mean _exactly that._ Do we have a deal?"

The monster smirked. "All right, Guardian. _We have a deal."_

"Release my brother."

"If I _could,_ I would have done it a _long_ time ago. I need the power of all the apples to be free of him; _you_ have _that."_

"Very well." 

I knew that it would keep his word; it would have been a fool _not_ to. I let the apple that was my soul escape me; it was now visible. The monster smiled evilly when it happened.

"For being so _kind,_ I will tell you.." The monster spared a glance at me. _"This will hurt worse than death."_

"Just do it." I was calm.

"Oh, _I_ _will."_

The monster outstretched its slimy arm, with its hand opened wide to grab the apple; it hovered its hand around the apple for a moment before letting its touch consume it. The bright, golden skin of the apple was being tainted by a dark, negative color. The apple was slowly poisoned, and I found myself on the hard rocky ground, screaming in utter _agony._ The monster, however, was laughing; it was getting everything it had ever _wanted,_ while I was getting the same in return. I knew that the pain was only temporary, and I knew that it would pass as soon as the apple was gone; the monster was certainly taking its _time,_ though! The apple no longer had the golden glow it had retained for so long, now finding itself in a darker shade, destined to glow no more. The _golden_ apple was now a _myth;_ there was only the _negative_ apple, now, and the monster bit into it, slowly savoring every bite - every ounce of power it gained. It ate the entire fruit, core and all, and now, there was nothing standing in its way. It had _won._ The pain left me quickly, but I did not pass out; I _refused_ to. I slowly left my spot on the ground, and I looked up at the monster with a tired expression.

"N-now..N-Nightmare.." I requested.

"Very well, Guardian." The monster nodded. "I shall give you what you ask."

The monster glowed with its teal magic, forming an open spot amidst the slime that covered it; I could see my brother. _I could see my brother!_ The small skeleton was purged from the everlasting slime that had covered it for centuries, and I wrapped my arms around him as soon as I possibly _could!_ The monster looked down at us.

"You have granted me immortality and unlimited power.. _willingly."_ It hummed. "For this, I will allow you to _live,_ despite being a _positive_ spirit. I warn you, however: do _not_ try to stop me, for I will _not_ hesitate to rip your life from you."

"I understand." I replied. "I won't get in your way."

 _"Good._ I shall take my leave, now."

The monster left me to hold my brother, which I _did;_ it had been _so long_ since I had seen him like this! I found that I could still feel joy, despite having given up the positive apple; I supposed that I _was_ a _positive_ spirit, after all! When I saw my brother's eyesockets slowly twitch, I filled with every type of happiness there ever _was!_ They opened with a slight flutter, making me smile even _wider_ than _before!_ As his dark purple eyelights met my golden yellow ones, he started to cry; I held him close.

"Wh-why did you _do_ that?!" He weeped, fully aware of my actions.

"I wanted you back, Nighty." I hugged him tighter.

"B-but now.."

"But now we're going to stay _away_ from the rest of the multiverse; it isn't our problem."

"Y-you just.."

"Nighty..look at me." I pulled him off my shoulder. "Forget about them; they aren't important."

"Th-they're _people!"_

"What can we do about it, _now?"_

He looked down.

"N- _nothing.."_ He sighed.

"Right." I hugged him once more. "We're going to leave them all behind, now, all right?"

"A-all right.." Nightmare saw the futility in arguing.

"Are you ready to go?"

He nodded, wiping his tears.

"Come on, Nighty; I know a place where _nobody_ will find us." I smiled.

Dreamtale was sealed off shortly after that, and nobody else was able to see the green grass that lived again. Nobody else was able to watch the fluffy clouds against the blue sky. Nobody else was able to see the solemn memorial for our mother. Nobody else was able to see the quaint cottage in the woods. Only _we,_ the _Guardians,_ were able to see those things. The rest of the multiverse lay in anarchy with a dictator that could not be stopped, but we didn't think about that. We only thought about the peace that we lived in. We only thought about making eachother happy.

We only thought about what we could _see,_ and _that_ was _eachother._

"Dream, why do you _have_ to tell _that_ story every year?" Nightmare curled up in his soft, purple blanket.

"I just feel the need." I shrugged. "It's only _once_ a year, after all."

"I guess so.."

"Here, I'll cheer you up!" 

I tickled Nightmare, and he laughed joyfully as he instantly retaliated.

 _"Stop!"_ He pleaded, giggling. _"I surrender!"_

"Oh, _all right!"_ I released him. "Wanna go _play?"_

"What game?" Nightmare wore a smile.

"How about we run through the field and roll around in the grass?"

"Okay! Race ya there!"

"Oh, _you're on!"_

Nightmare turned toward the flower field we frequented, and I followed close behind him; we were as close as brothers could _be,_ and I was happy to _accept_ it. So _what_ if the rest of the multiverse was in complete _chaos?_ My brother was _happy,_ and that was _all_ that mattered. As we played in the grass, I saw a teal figure out of the corner of my eyelight; it was watching us almost _constantly,_ but I didn't mind. We had a deal, and it wouldn't _dare_ break it. I wasn't getting in _its_ way, and it _wouldn't_ get in _mine._ It sometimes tried to scare me by telling me of the horrible things it had done in my absence, but I just shook my skull and smiled, saying, "I don't care," and going on my way as if nothing had happened; I knew that it hated me, but I simply couldn't care _less._ I had my brother back, and that was all that could make me happy. That was all that I needed. Nightmare's smile reminded me of the past, when he would tell me about a book he had been reading; he had _lots_ of books to read, now, and he never questioned how I got them. He knew better than to do that, knowing that he would be reminded of the outside world. We simply lived apart from the rest of the world in our _own_ happy little world.

_And we lived happily ever after, while everyone else suffered._

~~~story end woot~~~

Dream bean..get Night bean back..I guess..

wHaT a BiTtErSwEeT eNdInG!

So..yeah..that happened.

Thanks for reading my weird writing!

Bye!


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